NEWS

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and our founders recognized their vocation as a call to follow Christ's example in serving the poor. The Society they formed was not merely born of personal motivation but as a response to a call from above. They set the example for us, prayer and service, a right ordering of priorities when doing God's work.

SPIRITUAL REFLECTION

Depending on the translation, the verse is written differently. It can be “And Jesus wept,” or “Jesus began to weep,” or some other slight variation. When it is written as “Jesus wept”, it is quoted as the shortest verse in Holy Scripture. Besides being the shortest, it is perhaps one of the most profound statements about God in the person of Jesus.

LOCAL FOOD INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

On July 9, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced a top-up of $10 million for the Local Food Infrastructure Fund for projects directly related to addressing food insecurity and increasing the accessibility of healthy, nutritious and ideally local foods within the community.

Projects must be infrastructure-specific, community-driven and dedicated to improving access to safe and healthy food for Canadians at risk of food insecurity. Eligible projects must be for simple infrastructure requests such as purchasing a walk-in refrigerator for a food bank, or installing a greenhouse in a remote community. The application process is available at

https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/agricultural-programs-and-services/local-food-infrastructure-fund

July 9announcement:

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/minister-bibeau-re-opens-the-local-food-infrastructure-fund-with-over-double-the-funding-this-year-for-projects-to-improve-food-security-in-communities-across-canada-821999900.html

VINCENTIAN PROJECTS

LE MARGINAL TRAILER
Première Heure Interview - Radio-Canada (CBC), with Mireille Roberge

Le Marginal is a 36-foot motorized vehicle, transformed into a restaurant and thrift store, operated by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul of Quebec. The trailer travels three times a week to people experiencing homelessness, mainly in the lower town of Quebec City, in the Saint-Roch district. This program has existed for 30 years.

TWINNING WITH DOMINICA

The St. Isaac Jogues Conference in Pickering is frequently in touch through WhatsApp with their twins, the St Joseph Conference in the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Click on the button to read two of their messages to the St. Isaac Jogues Conference.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

SOCIAL JUSTICE UPDATES

Strategic planning

The online survey that was distributed in early June to social justice supporters has a submission deadline of July 20. There is still time to complete the survey (click here), which will be an important component of how our strategic planning will evolve.

THE SOCIAL IN SOCIAL JUSTICE

As a volunteer for the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, I have never questioned the need for social justice for those living under the poverty line. It’s clear with every home visit that there are persons in need, but our faith teaches us that if God’s justice truly lived in our land, no one would be struggling to survive.

QUESTION & ANSWER

Q: With vaccination progressing, when do we start in-person meetings? Do we still wear masks and socially distance at these meetings? When can we start in-person Home Visits? Do we wear masks in people’s homes, and do we ask those we visit to wear masks?

A: The answers are very dependent on the local / regional / provincial Public Health requirements; however, prevention and precaution are always good measures to apply to manage the risks to members and those being assisted. This will still vary greatly across the country and even between adjacent communities.

IN CONCLUSION

We are always looking for Vincentian testimonials and conference/council activity stories. Send your stories to share with Vincentians across Canada to editor@ssvp.ca.

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